"Even escorting a friend a thousand li must end in parting. Fellow Daoists, let us stop here!"
Outside the rudimentary fortifications recently erected by the Luotian Alliance, a grey-haired, grey-bearded old man turned around, looking at the five Golden Core cultivators seeing him off.
Before any of the five could speak, he cast a casual glance at the crude fortifications nearby.
"If you wish to retain this territory after Howling Moon is settled, you had best give serious thought to what I have told you!"
Hearing those words, the expressions of the five opposite him stiffened slightly.
Luo Chen composed himself and cupped his hands in a salute.
"Thank you for the advance notice, Fellow Daoist Qu. We will give our reply as soon as possible."
"Good. As long as you know what must be done. Qu will take his leave now."
"Safe travels, Fellow Daoist Qu!"
Led by Luo Chen, the five watched Qu Xibai's departing figure, falling into silence among themselves.
Beneath the low wall, the five Golden Core cultivators uttered not a word.
Luo Chen's heart was quite heavy.
He had anticipated that this day would come. After all, Fairy Jueqing had explicitly warned him beforehand, but he had not expected it to arrive so soon!
It had not even been a full year!
Qu Xibai's purpose today was actually not complicated.
He had come to invite the Luotian Alliance to take part in the opening war.
Some might wonder: hadn't the Luotian Alliance been taking part in the opening war against the Howling Moon Mountain Range all along?
Why make this superfluous gesture?
In truth, it was quite different!
This time, they were inviting the high-tier cultivators of the Luotian Alliance to join the Sword-Bearer Hall of the Nine Sects and carry out missions on the most perilous front lines.
The so-called high-tier cultivators here had to be at least Foundation Establishment cultivators, and ideally Golden Core cultivators.
For the Luotian Alliance, these cultivators were unequivocally their pinnacle fighting power.
And the assignment was at the most dangerous front.
Hence, the five from the alliance had fallen into an uncanny silence.
Each feared being the first to speak and ending up the one dispatched.
Faced with this eerie atmosphere, someone had to speak up eventually.
The young man walked forward with his hands clasped behind his back.
Gazing out at the picturesque green mountains and clear waters beyond the alliance's defenses, he said leisurely, "Fellow Daoists, why put on such long faces? This trial was bound to come sooner or later."
"From the moment we took a shortcut to seize this spiritual land and executed the Mountain Relocation Plan, we were destined to draw the attention of interested parties."
Diwu Qi remarked abruptly, "Mengquan Cave? Yu Jiaolong?"
The other three were taken aback, their faces twisting with indignation.
At this, Luo Chen offered an easy smile.
"Perhaps it was her, perhaps not. What does it matter?"
"Do you truly believe that when the three of our factions sent men to the front lines to gather resources, then processed and resold them to rake in profits, the other major Golden Core sects aside from Mengquan Cave were blind to it?"
"My Luotian Sect's monster beast trade, the Cen family's medicinal herb trade..."
"Heh. Others fight life and death just for an inch of standing ground, while we sit comfortably in the rear reaping the fruits of their toil, gorging ourselves until our lips glisten with oil. The Luotian Alliance is neither a Nascent Soul upper sect nor a deeply entrenched Golden Core great sect with profound foundations. Bound by the covenant, they cannot move against us openly, but that doesn't mean they can stomach this situation."
"A bit of targeted pressure was only to be expected."
"What's more, they are only asking us to send personnel right now—they haven't ordered us to our deaths, nor have they forced us to surrender our land."
The words flowed calmly from Luo Chen's lips.
Well-reasoned, orderly, and clear.
The others gradually grasped the underlying truth.
Yet understanding was one thing; accepting it was another.
"How is joining the Sword-Bearer Hall of the Nine Sects any different from going to our deaths? If too many of our alliance's Golden Core cultivators perish, falling below three, and we lose our status as a major sect, would we still be able to hold onto this blessed land we fought so hard to conquer?"
The speaker was still Diwu Qi.
Within the alliance, he was also the only one qualified to stand as Luo Chen's equal.
Particularly now that the blessed land had been secured, the binding power of that covenant had dwindled to almost nothing.
The three factions had long since begun going their separate ways.
The only reason they maintained the alliance's identity was merely to present the external prestige of a major Golden Core sect.
"The way I see it, this proposal is a plot targeting our Luotian Alliance!" Diwu Qi declared heatedly.
To this, Luo Chen gave a helpless chuckle.
"It makes little difference whether it's an open trap or a hidden conspiracy."
"After all, this territory is ours in name only right now. If it is to be truly apportioned to us, we must wait until the new domain is settled, when the Nascent Soul upper sects assess merits and allocate rewards."
"Refusing to participate in the Sword-Bearer Hall of the Nine Sects means giving up this Tier 3 spiritual vein right now."
"Are you all... willing to part with it?"
Instantly, the faces of all four showed definitive answers.
Of course they weren't willing!
Among those present, they were either rogue cultivators or from minor clans; not a single one hailed from an orthodox sect.
Since forming their Golden Cores, none had ever enjoyed a free Tier 3 spiritual vein.
Who would be willing to give up a Tier 3 spiritual vein that belonged entirely to them now?
"So, isn't the answer obvious?"
Luo Chen turned around and spread his hands.
"We must send someone to the Sword-Bearer Hall of the Nine Sects."
"And with Fellow Daoist Qu notifying us in advance, we have ample time to prepare. All that remains is to discuss whom to send."
"So, who is willing to volunteer to fight on behalf of the alliance?"
Faced with Luo Chen's genial gaze, the three took a step back in unison.
What a joke. The alliance wasn't their personal home.
None of them possessed that degree of devotion.
Only Fu Jiusheng remained where he was, left sticking out conspicuously.
Fu Jiusheng felt thoroughly awkward; he simply hadn't wanted to leave Luo Chen standing alone and make things look jarring.
He hadn't imagined he would end up being the most conspicuous one.
Luo Chen shook his head. "Old Fu won't do. He still has to oversee the subsequent setup of the Dragon Entrapping Array. That is long-term work; he cannot leave for at least ten years."
Diwu Qi and the other two exchanged glances, but they had to admit Luo Chen made sense.
Fu Jiusheng let out an enormous sigh of relief.
He truly had no desire to go to the battlefield.
In terms of combat, he wasn't weak; having come from an herb-gathering background, he had never feared fighting.
However, clashes on a battlefield were direct, head-on brawls, constantly racked by collateral shockwaves. If he truly went to the front-line battlefield at his current first layer of the Golden Core realm, he would face certain death!
Luo Chen's words had extricated him from the predicament.
In fact, they had guaranteed his safety for a long time to come.
Just as the boulder in Fu Jiusheng's heart settled, Luo Chen spoke again.
"Normally, as Alliance Leader, I ought to volunteer myself."
At those words, joy surfaced on the faces of the three.
Yet before that joy could linger for even a moment, their attention was drawn to a pill bottle in Luo Chen's hand.
"However!"
"Recently, I had an epiphany in alchemy. I faintly sense an opportunity to concoct mid-grade Stars Pills, so I truly loathe rushing about outside and delaying my alchemy."
"You must all be eager to enjoy mid-grade Stars Pills soon, yes?"
"By the way, by my estimation, the medicinal potency of a mid-grade Stars Pill is no longer inferior to Azure Pill Valley's Dragon Transformation Pill or the Medicine King Sect's Golden Cang Pill."
Looking at Luo Chen's smiling countenance, everyone was at a loss.
The man clearly had no intention of going to the front line either.
And he had brought forth an excuse that sounded thoroughly unimpeachable.
Besides, if they truly attempted to force him, it would defy all reason.
The alliance had been established single-handedly under Luo Chen's leadership.
During the process of conquering the spiritual land, Luo Chen had likewise contributed immensely.
Especially for the later Mountain Relocation Plan, he had mobilized his connections to summon five Golden Core cultivators.
No matter how one looked at it, it should never be his turn first.
Moreover, there was no precedent in sect warfare for sending out the paramount leader right away.
If the Luotian Alliance were viewed as an orthodox inherited sect, Luo Chen was that paramount leader.
Cen Qiusheng suddenly spoke: "I am advanced in age and do not have much longer to live; my life is naturally of little consequence. However, the Cen family still lacks a successor. I cannot abandon my family. Therefore, I cannot go at this time!"
This too was reasonable.
However, in doing so, the spearhead pointed straight at the two Golden Core cultivators of Storm Mountain Villa.
Diwu Qi narrowed his eyes.
"What is the meaning of this from your two factions?"
The atmosphere instantly froze.
Luo Chen frowned and shook his head inwardly.
When hearts are divided, a team is hard to lead!
Flicking his sleeves, he turned to leave.
"There is still a buffer period. Let us return and discuss it slowly!"
"What good is standing out here in the mountain winds?"
With his departure, the tense atmosphere gradually eased.
Yet clearly, until this matter reached a conclusion, the alliance would not know a single day of peace.
...
Deep in the mountain's core.
Luo Chen stood outside a brand-new stone door, lingering for a long time.
After a while, he let out a sigh and turned away.
Wang Yuan's injuries had healed.
Yet he remained in seclusion, attempting to gather his intent and embrace the core to advance to the Furnace Realm.
This was a good thing!
In fact, if he succeeded, he would become the key to breaking the deadlock.
By then, with three Golden Core-level combatants under the Luotian Sect's banner, they would become an absolute dominating power within the alliance!
Faced with such circumstances, he would be fully able to assign tasks without hesitation.
Unfortunately, no one knew how many years it would take before Wang Yuan exited seclusion.
"Back then, forming my core took me ten years, and consolidating the realm took another ten."
"As a threshold that causes a qualitative transformation in body refinement, it cannot possibly be accomplished overnight. I was too impatient."
Returning to Snow Wolf Flat, Luo Chen strolled along, his thoughts wandering.
Suddenly, his gaze fell upon Chu Kui, who had been waiting in the distance for quite a while.
With a shift in thought, he immediately summoned him over.
"How has your study of the Dragon Slaying Art progressed?"
Chu Kui answered candidly, "With your guidance, I have entered the threshold. However, purging the foreign magic power remains quite difficult, and progress is very slow."
At his words, a visible look of disappointment appeared on Luo Chen's face.
Until Chu Kui purged the foreign magic power from his body, he could not attempt core formation.
He asked again, "What about the Micromote Origin Art?"
Chu Kui said helplessly, "That technique is overly intricate. Though it appears to be Tier 3, practicing it feels even more difficult than the Tier 4 Dragon Slaying Art. I fear I will not be able to form my core with it."
Another piece of bad news.
Wang Yuan had gone into seclusion, and prior to doing so, had ultimately failed to produce a simplified version of the Micromote Origin Art.
Luo Chen had only cultivated this art to the Adept level himself; with his current attainment, he too was incapable of simplifying this secret core-formation art.
Chu Kui could not help asking, "Something troubling you?"
Luo Chen shook his head and patted his shoulder.
"Pay no mind to these matters. Just focus on your cultivation."
"I hope that one day, I can host a grand core-formation ceremony for you!"
Clasping his hands behind his back, Luo Chen walked away alone.
No external help could be borrowed.
Nor could the Luotian Sect see an explosive emergence of Golden Core talents in the short term.
The current predicament still had to be resolved by himself.
Luo Chen felt some concern, but not excessive irritation.
It was merely the petty schemes and calculations of interest.
He had long grown accustomed to such things.
...
"You have all reviewed the intelligence regarding the Sword-Bearer Hall of the Nine Sects."
"It is an organization established by the nine Nascent Soul upper sects, functioning much like an enforcement squad and a firefighting brigade."
"The cultivators within are Foundation Establishment geniuses and Golden Core experts from the nine Nascent Soul upper sects, who intentionally participate in battle to temper their Dao hearts and combat techniques."
"Such a department is actually not that perilous. You've seen the casualties over the past year—there have barely been any losses. You truly need not worry so much."
...
"I know no one wants to go, as there are risks after all."
"Yet the alliance's interests are not mine alone; each of you has a stake in them."
"How about this: we establish a rotation system!"
"A term of three years. After three years, another person will take over. If anyone is gravely wounded, they may also return ahead of schedule."
"How does that sound?"
...
"As for the Foundation Establishment cultivators, we won't place the burden on a single faction. Three factions—no, four!"
"Apart from our three factions, the group from the Myriad Manifestations Sect settled at Dream Returning Ridge shall also send several Foundation Establishment cultivators."
"Fellow Daoist Diwu Qi, what do you think?"
"I think that Zong Jiulang is quite capable."
...
"The first to go always requires courage and must face the unknown risks."
"The remaining members will each contribute a portion of resources as compensation. As Alliance Leader, I naturally will not be stingy. This bottle of mid-grade Stars Pills was painstakingly accumulated through countless failed attempts in recent days. I couldn't even bear to consume them myself; let them go to the first person heading to the front lines!"
"In addition, I will provide another batch of mid-grade spirit stones!"
...
A month later.
Through negotiation after negotiation, consultation after consultation, and continual compromises, the Luotian Alliance finally settled upon the candidate to march out.
Jiang Yu!
Within the alliance, his cultivation realm was not the strongest, his prestige was not the highest, and he had no remarkable immortal arts or crafts to speak of; keeping him in the alliance offered little utility.
However, his combat methods were relatively well-rounded, granting him a degree of self-preservation in the face of crisis.
Most importantly, he had already expended far too much wealth for the opening war.
The Mountain Relocation Plan and the nurturing of the spiritual land had drained massive amounts of resources from him in succession.
Repairing his natal magic treasure and replenishing his Gloom Murk Liquid had diminished his personal wealth to the extreme.
Thus, after Luo Chen and the others offered a hefty payout, he finally relented, willing to be the first to head to the front line—to be the first to wade across the river.
At the departure ceremony.
Standing aboard the Scarlet Flame Dragon Boat loaned by Luo Chen, Jiang Yu looked rather high-spirited.
Rather than going off to war, he looked more like a tourist heading to the front lines for sightseeing.
Across the various mountain peaks, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators dispatched by each faction were bidding farewell to their elders, kin, and friends.
Over on Snow Wolf Flat.
Luo Chen looked at the two juniors: Zeng Yilong and a female Foundation Establishment cultivator named Mei Ruoqi.
"Heading to the front line this time is a risk, but also an opportunity."
"Battling monster beasts is far better than fighting cunning human cultivators back in our day. As long as you follow orders, no major mishaps should occur."
"Within the Sword-Bearer Hall of the Nine Sects, there are large numbers of true disciples from the Nascent Soul upper sects. Building rapport with them will also be an excellent opportunity to expand your network and resources."
"You needn't worry about cultivation; the Sword-Bearer Hall offers the finest benefits, and you will never lack spiritual grounds to cultivate."
"Furthermore, I have prepared corresponding pills and protective treasures for you."
As he spoke, Luo Chen produced two unbranded storage bags from his person.
One contained supreme-grade Blood-Boosting Pills, left over from when he reached the Foundation Establishment great perfection.
The other contained supreme-grade Jade Dew Pills, freshly concocted by Luo Chen on an expedited basis, prepared specially for Mei Ruoqi.
In addition, each received a supreme-grade defensive magic tool and a Tier 3 offensive talisman.
Seeing their excitement, Luo Chen felt a slight pang of regret.
If only he were proficient in talisman crafting.
If his peak-mastery spells could be sealed into talismans, they would undoubtedly be top-tier lethal weapons among Foundation Establishment cultivators!
In the past, Luo Chen had entertained the thought of studying talisman making to leverage his vast spellcraft attainments.
However, the returns from talismans were not substantial for him.
They could not match the wealth accumulation speed of pills.
And in terms of combat power, his own casting speed was already rapid; talismans would merely be gilding the lily.
After the two thanked Luo Chen, they flew up to the Scarlet Flame Dragon Boat.
Luo Chen gestured, and Xing Zonghan, clad in black, walked over.
After so many years, backed by the Luotian Sect's resource supply, he was already an expert at the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment.
While it was hard to say how strong his combat prowess was, in terms of survival and stealth, he was already among the best of Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The Breath Concealment Spiritual Art and Turtle Spirit Armor that Luo Chen had once excelled at had both been mastered by him.
Not only that, but he had specially equipped himself with a set of supreme-grade magic tools and treasures suited to his strengths.
"Supreme Elder!"
"You must go to the front lines as well. Gathering intelligence is your primary mission. If the opportunity arises, look after them as well."
Xing Zonghan nodded, though he said in a low voice, "Zeng Yilong possesses formidable strength—sixth layer of the Blood River Realm, having comprehended overt force and learned both the Blood God Tribulation Finger and Giant Spirit Transformation. Combined with his third layer of Foundation Establishment, he shouldn't need my protection, should he?"
Luo Chen said calmly, "He grew up under the sheltering wings of Wang Yuan and me, with little exposure to storms. Sometimes, sheer strength alone cannot solve problems."
Xing Zonghan was puzzled. "If that is so, why send him? There should be more suitable candidates in the sect!"
Luo Chen sighed.
"If the foul winds and rains of blood on the battlefield can buffet others, why shouldn't they buffet him?"
"If he is to become the first generation Dao Child of the Luotian Sect, he must experience these trials."
Xing Zonghan was stunned!
Dao Child of the Luotian Sect?
He knew that after transitioning from the Luotian Association to establishing a sect, they might follow the example of other major sects in selecting Golden Core Dao seeds and creating the station of Dao Child.
However, shouldn't they first consider the Supreme Elder's disciple, Qu Lingjun?
Luo Chen did not explain much.
He knew full well that although Qu Lingjun had fortunately achieved Foundation Establishment, his four-spiritual-root aptitude would prevent him from advancing quickly or traveling far.
By contrast, Zeng Yilong was the one upon whom he pinned great hopes!
Possessing dual-spiritual-root aptitude no inferior to the true disciples of major sects, trained from childhood by Wang Yuan in both magic and body refinement, and backed by the full resource support of the Luotian Sect!
One could say that as long as Zeng Yilong survived, the benefits would be boundless.
Indeed, with Zeng Yilong's age and aptitude, he could fully unite the strengths of Wang Yuan and Luo Chen.
Yes, Luo Chen also intended for Zeng Yilong to cultivate the Micromote Origin Art and condense a Golden Core after advancing to the Furnace Realm.
By then, his combat ability would surely surpass ordinary Golden Core cultivators.
And the Luotian Sect would possess a powerhouse who was exceptionally formidable in battle.
Qu Lingjun would inherit Luo Chen's alchemy. His cultivation might progress slowly, but slow and steady was fine. He would become the Luotian Sect's new-generation alchemy grandmaster—its golden signboard to the outside world.
Zeng Yilong would inherit Wang Yuan's and Luo Chen's combat prowess. His cultivation must be swift, his realm high, his strength immense! He would be a force upon which the Luotian Sect could rely in the future, a powerhouse to suppress petty scoundrels from all quarters.
To put it simply, Qu Lingjun would be the Luotian Sect's face, while Zeng Yilong would be its substance.
This dual-star model of cultivation was no momentary whim of Luo Chen's.
It was the synthesis of everything he had observed over the years.
The Falling Cloud Sect had once been like this: Master Han Zhan was the substance, while Cheng Yan was the face. Through the transformation of its substance, the Falling Cloud Sect had leaped forward to become a Nascent Soul upper sect.
The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect essentially cultivated its next generation in the same manner: the foremost in combat prowess was Ren Pingsheng, while external affairs were mostly entrusted to Master Yaoguang.
More recently, Azure Pill Valley had likewise realized this: grooming Danyangzi, who had originally wanted to be the face, into the substance, while letting Tao Wan serve as the face.
Naturally, specific situations called for specific approaches.
Here at the Luotian Sect, in Luo Chen's plan, the position of Dao Child was not intended to inherit the post of sect master; it was merely a status to openly and fairly receive the full tilting of the sect's resources.
As for the sect master position, he intended to simplify it into an administrative post handling everyday affairs, which would most likely be handed to Sima Huiniang's eldest disciple, Yao Mingyue, in the future.
In short, the substance had to be there, the face had to be held high, and everyday affairs would be handled by others.
In this way, though the sparrow was small, it had all the vital organs!
It was perfectly suited for the Luotian Sect, which possessed neither profound heritage nor abundant resources.
"Doing things this way ought to be right, shouldn't it?"
Luo Chen murmured inwardly, his gaze turning toward the Myriad Manifestations Sect's encampment.
Zong Jiulang, the Eldest Senior Brother of the Myriad Manifestations Sect, was stepping aboard the Scarlet Flame Dragon Boat with a look of going to certain death, accompanied by the reluctant, sorrowful gazes of his junior brothers and sisters.
The Myriad Manifestations Sect had ruined both its substance and its face in one go, which was why it had fallen to its current state—manipulated by Luo Chen and others, helpless to control its own destiny.
"As for cultivating the next generation, this is as much as I can do for now."
"By comparison, for me—who currently embodies both the substance and the face in one person—there is still ample room for growth."
"My proficiency in the Hidden Action Array has already reached Grandmaster level. The day when I can engrave it onto my body isn't far away!"
Chapter 492